THE NEW ICON: MY PLATE

June 21, 2011

Many nutritionists said that the food pyramid had become too complicated for most people to understand easily. The government has put into place a more visual icon...one that we can relate to to make better food choices.

The icon called MyPlate is an image of a plate and glass divided into 5 food groups - fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and dairy. This has replaced the pyramid.

MyPlate will be displayed on food packaging and used in nutrition education in the United States.

7 key messages from the dietary guidelines:

-enjoy food but eat less
-avoid over-sized portions
-make half your plate fruits and vegetables
-drink water instead of sugary drinks
-switch to fat-free or low-fat milk
-compare sodium in foods
-make at least half your grains whole grains

MyPlate is the current nutrition guide published by the United States Department of Agriculture.